Water in the Winter

12/11/2023 (Permalink)

In an environment where the weather is constantly fluctuating between temperatures ranging from the 10s to the 40s, the occurrence of sporadic snowfall, melting snow, and subsequent freezing is a common challenge. These variations can pose potential threats to your property, leading to water intrusions through inadequately sealed areas like the roof, walls, windows, or even from leaking appliances or broken pipes.

Should you notice any signs of water damage, regardless of their apparent severity, it is essential to promptly address the issue. Water and moisture-related problems, whether visible or concealed behind insulation or within wall surfaces, have the potential to harbor bacteria, foster mold growth, induce rot, emit odors, or cause other unseen damages. Regardless of the magnitude of the problem, reaching out to our professionals for a complimentary initial assessment and estimate is strongly recommended.

Prioritizing safety during water cleanup is crucial. If feasible, take steps to prevent further damage while waiting for our professional team's arrival. In cases where self-intervention is not practical, our team will act promptly to:

1. Identify the source and type of water.
2. Measure temperature and humidity for drying analysis.
3. Survey the extent of damage and inspect the premises.
4. Perform emergency water extraction.
5. Apply necessary treatments.
6. Employ drying equipment and monitor the drying process.

Throughout the water remediation process, we work in collaboration with you and your insurance company, should you have initiated a claim. Remember, it is imperative not to let water of any type linger; give us a call, and we will be there promptly to assist!

What you need to know about winter water damage

12/11/2023 (Permalink)

At SERVPRO®, water loss is a big part of what we do, and we strive to make it “Like it never even happened.” A water loss can happen to a home or business at anytime or anywhere. In a home or business there are many different sources such as a hose from the washing machine, a pipe under the sink or under the house  or maybe the sump pump fails during a storm. According to the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety, plumbing supply system failures are the leading source of residential water loss. On average the cost after deductible was paid was estimated at $5,092.00 per incident .  

Winter months can be especially busy for SERVPRO because of the extreme dip in temperature.  One tip for the winter months to prevent frozen pipe damage is to make sure all cracks, holes, and other openings on the exterior walls are sealed tightly with caulk or insulation to prevent cold air from penetrating the wall cavity.

Frozen Pipes

12/11/2023 (Permalink)

Frozen pipes can cause big problems but there are steps you can take to reduce some of the stress and worry of that happening in your home or business.

Short-Term Steps for Preventing Frozen Pipes

Installing a Foam Faucet Cover. If you don't have much time to prepare, there are still steps you can take to protect your pipes. These measures help reduce the risk from subfreezing temperatures:

• Find your main water shutoff so you can turn off the water quickly if needed. Locations vary — look in the crawlspace or basement where the water supply enters the house, inside a water meter box directly outside the house or near the water heater.
• Disconnect garden hoses from exterior faucets to prevent water from freezing in the hose and rupturing the faucet. Drain the hoses and, if possible, store them where they will be protected from cold weather.
• If your exterior faucets have cut-off valves, close them and drain the faucets. If they don't, insulate them with foam faucet covers.
• Close foundation vents.
• Fix broken basement windows.
• Open cabinet doors under sinks to let warm air flow around the supply lines. Move any cleaners or other chemicals out of the reach of children.
• Keep your thermostat at the daytime setting during the night. If you'll be away for several days during subfreezing weather, keep it set above 55° F.

There may be other areas around your home that need attention. Irrigation systems, swimming pool supply lines and devices in unheated garages — such as washing machines, water softeners and pressure washers — are at risk. Follow the manufacturers' instructions for winterization. Information provided from https://www.lowes.com/n/how-to/frozen-pipes-prevention-and-repair

With the Holiday season upon us statistics show that November-January are the months when fires are most prevalent. It's important to make sure that your family has a plan in place in case a fire of a fire.  Here are some tips to keep your family safe during the upcoming Holiday Season.

• Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, inside bedrooms and outside sleeping areas.
• Test smoke alarms every month. If they’re not working, change the batteries.
• Talk with all family members about a fire escape plan and practice the plan twice a year.

If a fire occurs in your home, GET OUT, STAY OUT and CALL FOR HELP. Never go back inside for anything or anyone.

Removal of Moisture Behind Walls In Calumet City-Lansing Homes

5/1/2022 (Permalink)

Water loss incidents can occur from many different sources in your Calumet City- Lansing home, but aging plumbing often plays a contributing factor. Many of the older homes in the area still have metal piping throughout the property, which can begin to degrade and erode over time, especially when exposed to higher mineral elements in the public water such as iron and manganese. These minerals are not harmful to consume, yet, can have a damaging effect on older pipes when sediment builds up around connections, bends, and fixtures.

 Once a problem has started, water damage can soon develop in your Calumet City- Lansing home through leaks in the weakest portions of the plumbing. These can be challenging to chase down, as the moisture and dampness can affect a broad area. To prevent excessive tear out and replacement once you have encountered water damage, you can reach out to our SERVPRO professionals for fast and effective restoration and repair.

Our team that arrives at your home comes equipped with detection technology to help them both identify leaks in the plumbing behind the walls, and identify the full scope of the water damage that your home has sustained throughout the time that the pipe has been leaking water. Our auditory equipment can help us to hear behind drywall to determine the exact point of the leak only to remove portions of wall required for us to repair the damaged plumbing and begin drying efforts effectively.

 To better place our drying equipment, our thermal imagery cameras can identify moisture pockets behind walls of your home to determine where focused drying efforts must occur to remove the dampness present. If the damage is severe enough, our SERVPRO technicians might also implement our injectidry system to force heated air through wall cavities to dry them efficiently before secondary effects like mold growth can occur.

While water damage might happen from a variety of sources, clean up and drying efforts need to begin promptly to prevent excessive structural concerns. Give our SERVPRO of Calumet City- Lansing rapid response team a call 24/7 at 708-627-0077.

Steps To Take After Water Damage to Flooring in Your Home

5/1/2022 (Permalink)

Water can be a very destructive force and adversely affect just about every part of your home's structure, including flooring. Whether the issue is severe weather, a malfunctioning appliance, burst pipes, or a leaking roof, handling water damage to flooring as early as possible is the key to avoiding huge hassles down the line.

Homeowners who suspect water damage to flooring in Bradley should take immediate action before the problem gets worse. If your home's floors have been affected by an influx of water, here are some things to keep in mind.

1. Have any excess water removed before refinishing wood floors.

Professional removal of excess water is essential before refinishing wood flooring. Otherwise, it may end up warping and cause structural damage. It can take weeks for wood floors to dry out on their own, and by then mold will likely become a problem. SERVPRO technicians will quickly remove the water from your floors and ensure the area is dry and ready to be refinished.

2. Prevent mold and mildew growth by calling an expert.

Some homeowners attempt to remove water damage to flooring on their own. However, they're typically unable to get the water out of each floor layer. The excess moisture then leads to mold and mildew, which are more challenging to eliminate. SERVPRO has industrial grade equipment that we use to ensure no moisture remains, which is vital to stopping the growth of harmful mold and mildew.

3. Don't automatically assume your carpets will be a lost cause.

If you look at the water damage to flooring in your home and think there's no way your carpet can be salvaged, call us first. We're experts at restoring water damaged areas, and we may be able to extract the water from your carpets and sub floors and save you the expense of completely replacing it.

If your home's flooring has been affected by water damage, count on the team at SERVPRO of Calumet City- Lansing to get it back in excellent condition. For a quote or to learn more about our water damage restoration services, call us at 708-627-0077.

How To Prevent Water Damage From a Leaky Water Heater?

1/23/2022 (Permalink)

When you discover a leaking water heater, acting fast and stopping the leak will help reduce any harm to your home.

So give us a call! We are faster to any disaster and are here to help get you back to "Like it never even happened."

What are the best ways to dry out documents? Contact SERVPRO!

1/18/2022 (Permalink)

Regardless of the type of wet documents you need to dry and restore, there are ways to save these important items.

A lot can go wrong if there's a flood in your office. Safety should be your No. 1 concern. Once you account for everyone's well-being, you'll take inventory of the damage. It's common to find wet documents in the aftermath of water issues. Many of these items may be highly sensitive and critical. Luckily, there are methods both you and the professionals can use to preserve these materials.

What You Can Do

For some flooding issues at work, you should let professional crews handle the cleanup. However, there are things you can do to protect your documents and ensure that they dry faster without ruining them.

Carefully remove any books, files, photographs, maps, or other documents from water.
Set out these items in a dry place.
For damp documents, flatten them out between two absorbent pieces of paper or cloth.

Calling In the Pros

Flood restoration crews have experience with document drying, in addition to removing water surfaces. It's a good idea to get help from skilled technicians when your documents have been submerged in water. Widespread damage is also a good reason to enlist the services of professional teams.

The Method

To spare your wet documents, technicians will use freeze-drying methods. To do this, a technician will freeze the materials. The next step is to evaporate the frozen water without allowing it to return to its liquid state. With freeze-drying, you can keep the dried-out paper from wrinkling and crinkling.

Sanitizing

When lying in the water, your documents could come into contact with dirt, debris, and other harmful material. The technicians will disinfect the paper to ensure that it is clean and doesn't pose any danger to you and other users of the documents.
Regardless of the type of wet documents you need to dry and restore, there are ways to save these important items. Follow these guidelines so you don't have to worry about losing your papers.

So give us a call! We are faster to any disaster and are here to help get you back to "Like it never even happened."

When Sewer Damage Happened - SERVPRO Was There To Help!

10/4/2021 (Permalink)

When a sewer damage effects your home, call your local SERVPRO team.

When technicians first arrive to your home or business they will quickly asses the cause of your water loss and also the severity of the loss.  We will determine the best course of action to fully mitigate the loss and restore your home to its preloss condition.  With a full in house construction team we are here to take you from "OH NO" to "OH WOW!".  

We proudly serve the Calumet City/ Lansing area residents and businesses and we look forward to being your first call if you ever have a water emergency.  Our office staff can be reached at 708-627-0077 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week/ 365 days a year.

Before Thinking Your Wood Floors Are Lost Forever, call SERVPRO of Calumet City/ Lansing

7/26/2021 (Permalink)

Call SERVPRO of Calumet City/ Lansing to get an expert opinion before thinking your wood floors are lost forever.

When your bathroom fixture or dishwasher leaks, the basement floods or a window is left open during a torrential downpour, your flooring can get quite wet. When these things happen, your flooring can sustain enough water damage that it has to be cleaned, repaired or even replaced. The guide below to flooring water damage costs can help you understand what steps will have to be taken to bring your floor back to a preloss state, if possible.

Water Damage to Hardwood Flooring
In humid or wet locations like the laundry area, bathrooms or the basement, flooring contractors try to discourage homeowners from installing hardwood flooring. When there is high humidity or a significant amount of water present, moisture gets into the wood, causing it to expand and producing separating, warping and cracking.

Flooring which is engineered handles humidity a lot better since the underlayment attached is made to expand and contract with normal humidity changes without damaging the solid wood layer on the top. It is however still not a good choice in locations that are humid and wet. In rooms with high RH, avoid wood. Concrete, tile or vinyl is preferred in these areas.

Water Damage to Laminate Flooring
Laminate flooring is composed of layers of material which will absorb water readily and swell, making the layers separate. This happens when water penetrates past the water-resistant barrier of the laminate top. This is often the result when a flood causing standing water to collect for an extended length of time. In this case, laminate flooring needs to be replaced, as there is no cost-effective way to repair the loss. Therefore, this flooring isn’t recommended for areas that are often humid or wet, either.

Tile Water Damage
Grout and tile are quite water resistant, and this is one of the reasons it’s such a good choice for pool areas, showers, entryways, and bathrooms. Your primary concern is the subfloor, as water can get through cracks in the grout, or around the tile field edges. The subfloor will swell if damaged, and the tile and grout can crack or the tile field in this area will be raised.

Linoleum and Vinyl Flooring Water Damage
These both can stand up to water quite well. It can be dried by using a wet vacuum to get rid of the standing water and fans can be placed in the area to dry up water which could have seeped into the subflooring while increasing the evaporation rate.

Hiring the Professionals
Professional water restoration companies, such as SERVPRO, specialize in drying out flooring of all kinds with pumps, fans, wet vacuums and desiccants. We have the right equipment and knowledge to dry out each kind of flooring properly if it is possible to salvage it, and we also know when it needs replacing. We can also sanitize and deodorize your flooring to stop mold and mildew from growing and to eliminate any potential odors.

When water damage in your Calumet City home affects your flooring, call SERVPRO of Calumet City / Lansing right away at 708-627-0077 so we can come out to your property and perform the water removal and remediation services that you need. We can restore your beautiful home "Like it never even happened."